Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-11-13
the name of ROLAND was waiting to see her

! the name of ROLAND was waiting to see her
ladyship."
SIS it a woman?"
"Yes, my lady"
Young Lady Montbarry turned to Ag-
mes.
This Is the very person." she said,
whom your lawyer thought likely to help
when he was trying to trace the lost cour-
ier.n
"You don't mean the English maid who
was with Lady Montbarry at Venice?"
my dear! don't speak Montbarry's hor-
rid widow by the name which is my name
now. Stephen and l have arranged to call
her by her foreign title before she was mar
ried. am Lady Montbarry,' and she is
the countess In that way there will be
no confusion. Yes, Mrs. ROLAND was in
my service before she became the count
ess' maid. She was a perfectly worthy
person, with one defect that obliged me to
send her away-a sullen temper which
led to perpetual complaints of her in the
servants hall. Would you like to see
her?"
Agnes accepted the proposal in the faint
hope Of getting some information for the
courier's wife. The complete defeat Of every
attempt to trace the lost man had been &C
cepted as final by Mrs. Ferrari. She had de-
liberately arrayed herselfinwidow's mourn
ing, and was earning her livelihood in any
employment which the unwearied kind
ness of Agnes had procured for her in Lon
don. The last chance OF penetrating the
mystery Of Ferrari's disappearance seemed
TO rest now on what Ferrari's former fel-
low servant might be able to tell. With
highly wrought expectations, Agnes fol-
lowed her friend into the room in which
Mrs. ROLAND was waiting.
A tall, bony woman, in the autumn Of
life, with sunken eyes and iron gray hair,
rose stitly from her chair aud saluttd
the ladies with stern submission as
they opened the door. A person of
unblemished character, evidently
but not without visible draw
backs. Big bushy eyebrows, an awfully
deep aud solemn voice, a harsh, unbending
manner, a complete absence in her figure
of the undulating lines characteristic of
the sex, presented virtue in this excellent
person under its least alluring aspect.
Strangers on a first introduction to her
were accustomed To wonder why she was
not a man
"Are you pretty well, Mrs. Rolland?"
al am as well a. l can expect 10 be, my
lady, at my time OF life"
as there anything can do for you?'
Your ladyship can do me a great favor
if you will please speak to my character
while | was in your service. | am offered
a place 10 wait on an invalid lady who
has lately come TO live in this n%eighbOr-
hood"
"Ah, yes-I have heard of her. A Mrs.
Carbury, with a very pretty niece, | am
told. But, Mrs. ROLAND, you lett my
service some time ago. Mrs. Carbury
will surely expect You to refer to the last
mistress by whom you were employed"
A fash of virtuous indignation irradiated
Mr.. Hollands sunken eyes. She coughed
before she answered, as if her last mis-
treSs'' stuck ia her throat.
IL have explained to Mrs. Carbury, my
lady, that the person l last servcd-I
really cannot give her title in your lady
ships presence!-has left England for
America. Mrs. Carbury knows that |
quilted the person Of my own free will
and knows why, and approves OF my con
duet so far. A word from your ladyship
i'll be amply sufficient to get me the sit
uation.
Very well, Mrs. ROLAND, l have no OBJ
lection TO I've your reference, under the cir
cumstanccs. Mrs. Carbury will liud me
at home tomorrow until ? O'Clock"
"Mrs. Carbury is not well enough to
leave the house, my lady. Her niece,
Miss Haldane, will call and make the in
q~uiries, if your Iadyship has no ohjec-
tiOn."
81 have not the least objection. The
pretty niece carries her own welcome with
her. Wait n minute, Mrs. Roland. This
lady is Miss LockwOOd--my husbands
cousin, and my friend. She is anxious TO
speak to you about the courier who was in
the late Lord Montbarry's service at
Venice.
Mrs. Rolland's bushy eyebrows frowned
in stern disapproval o. the new topic OF
conversation. Il regret to hear 1t, my
lady" was all she said.
"Perhaps you have not been informed of
what happe ned after you left Venice?" Ag-
mes ventured to add. "FeTrari lett the
place secretly, and has never been heard of
since"
Mrs. ROLAND mysteriously closed hereyes
as if to exclude some vision Of the lost
courier, which was of a nature to disturb
respectable woman. Nothing that Mr..
Ferrari could do would surprise me" she
replied, in her deepest bass tones.
You speak rather harshly of bim," said
Agnes.
Mrs. ROLAND suddenly opened her eyes
again. 81 speak harshly OF no one with
out reason" she said. "Mr. Ferrari be-
haved to me, Miss Lockwood, as no man
living has ever behaved-before or since"
"What did he do?"
Mrs. ROLAND answered with a stony
stare of horror: ''He took liberties with
me-"
Young Lady MOntbarry suddenly
turned aside and put her handkerchief
over her mouth in commissions OF snip
pressed laughter.
Mrs. ROLAND went on, with a grim en-
ioyment Of the bewilderment which her
reply had produced in Agnes: And when
| insisted on an apology, miss, he had the
audacity to say that the life at the palace
was dull, and be didn't know how else TO
amuse himself"
II am afraid I have hardly made my
self understood" said Agnes. 81 am not
speaking to you out OF any interest in
Ferrari. Are you aware that he is mar
ried?"
81 pity his WIFE" said Mrs. ROLAND.
"She is naturally in great grief about
him." Agnes proceeded.
"She ought to thank God she is rid Of
him." Mrs. ROLAND interposed.
Agnes still persisted. Il have known
Mrs, Ferrari from her childhood, and ]
am sincerely anxious to help her in this
matter. Did you notice anything while
you were al Venice that would account for
her husbands extraordinary disappearance